The Cross-Stream Connector
Michigan's Cross-Stream E-newsletter
April 2011
  

In This Issue
Communication Corner: SuperConference scholarships provided by MCSC
Collaboration Cafe: Join us at the 2011 Giving & Volunteering Celebration
Talking about Training & Technical Assistance
Quick Links 
 

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Outreach Outlook
Providing the tools you need to educate
others about national service.

Budget Update
The FY2011 budget is still being determined by Congress. Recently the House of Representatives passed another Continuing Resolution, complete with $6 billion in cuts that will keep government operating until Friday, April 8. The Senate approved the measure shortly thereafter. The Corporation for National and Community Service was not affected by those cuts.

Legislators will be in their home districts April 18 - 29 for their spring recess and May 16 - 20 for a constituent work week. Keep that in mind as you consider connecting with them to educate them about your program and national service in Michigan.

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Have You Shared the Good Story of National Service Lately?

"And so, my fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you: Ask what you can do for your country."

-- President John F. Kennedy,
1961 Inaugural Address


Americans today are faced with a variety of national, state, and local challenges that fall beyond the traditional reach of either private or public organizations. Problems spanning education, health, housing, economic opportunity, and the environment threaten individuals, families, and the very fabric of communities.


National service programs including AmeriCorps, Learn and Serve, and Senior Corps are making America stronger by focusing service on these key national issues - by expanding opportunities to serve; by building the capacity of individuals, nonprofits, and communities; and by encouraging innovative approaches to solving problems.

 

Michigan has a great story to tell. In our state, more than 47,000 residents are serving in national service programs. Just a few of the resulting impacts are as follows:

 

      With Michigan's high unemployment rate, AmeriCorps is providing 1,700 individuals the opportunity to gain valuable job skills and/or retrain for new careers.

      Literacy and academic supports are being provided to more than 8,418children and youth.

      Healthcare education and access is being provided for 85,358low-income individuals and families.

      More than 11,000 seniors in Michigan are serving with 56 Senior Corps projects across Michigan.

o  Elderly adults have been able to maintain their independence in their own home because of the service Senior Companions provide.

o  Disadvantaged youth in schools are performing better academically and disciplinary referrals are decreasing because Foster Grandparents are acting as mentors and providing one-to-one tutoring.

o  Police departments are able to conduct safety patrols in local neighborhoods with the help of the Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP).

      More than 2,500 teachers are engaging 50, 000 K-12 students in service connected to what they are learning in the classroom.

 

If you are reading this, you have a story you can tell.

What impacts have you seen as a result of national service? How can you share the story that service is not just a nice thing to do, but is truly necessary for our communities to be successful? Sharing the stories - sharing the impacts - is critical to educating the public, key stakeholders, and legislators. Sharing the impacts of your or others' service can increase awareness and influence policy development and legislation. A secondary benefit is that sharing the good story is motivating for the storyteller. What good stories with impacts can you share? Who do you need to share them with, not just today, but tomorrow...and on...and on...

Have you shared your good story?    

If you're looking for resources to help share your story, the Michigan Nonprofit Association has some available. Visit http://www.mnaonline.org/servicefunding.aspx for more information
.

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Communication Corner
Offering you the latest in cross-stream
news and resources.

MCSC Provides SuperConference Scholarships for National Service Program Staff
2009 MNA SuperConference

The Michigan Community Service Commission (MCSC) has granted scholarships to 30 individuals to attend the 2011 Nonprofit SuperConference. The conference is May 10 and 11 at the Lansing Center in Lansing.


This annual event is the state's premier conference for nonprofit professionals. The theme for SuperConference 2011 is "Michigan's Transformation: Nonprofits Leading the Way." This year's conference features the inspiring story of Doc Hendley, founder and president of Wine to Water; a discussion of generational communication from David Stillman and Debra Fiterman of BridgeWorks; an evening dinner plenary featuring a Celebration of Service with Brian Williams, executive director of Hands On Nashville; and Steve Tobocman, author of the Global Detroit Study, will show how our diversity is transforming Detroit. In addition to these motivating keynote speakers, the conference offers more than 30 workshops with a wide range of educational opportunities.


Scholarships were available to current national service program staff of AmeriCorps (including State, National, and VISTA), Senior Corps, and Learn and Serve grantees.
 

For additional information on the SuperConference please visit: www.mnaonline.org


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Collaboration Cafe
Showcasing cross-stream partnerships in Michigan.

Come to 2011 Giving & Volunteering Celebration in Lansing on April 13 

The Michigan Community Service Commission, Michigan Nonprofit Association, Michigan Campus Compact, Volunteer Centers of Michigan, Council of Michigan Foundations, and Michigan State Capitolthe Corporation for National and Community Service Michigan Office will engage individuals and organizations in a celebration honoring Michigan's giving and volunteering champions on Wednesday, April 13 on the steps of the Capitol in Lansing.

This free event, which is open to the public, will honor leaders in service including mayors and legislators, and will unveil the results of the 2010 Giving & Volunteering Report. Registration is required to attend as lunch is provided following the event. For more information, visit http://www.mnaonline.org/givingvolunteering.aspx.
 


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Talking about Training
& Technical Assistance
The latest opportunities to strengthen
national service programs.

Upcoming Training Opportunity: The CNCS Strategic Plan & What It Means for National Service in Michigan

 On February 8, 2011, the Board of Directors of the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) unanimously approved the agency's 2011-2015 Strategic Plan. The Strategic Plan provides a roadmap for using national service to address critical challenges facing our communities and our nation. It builds on the strong foundation of national service that has developed over the past four decades and the vision set forth in the bipartisan Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act of 2009. It is the result of a nine-month collaborative effort between CNCS and their network of state commissions, grantees, project sponsors, participants, staff, and the public through which more 1,900 individuals provided input on their strategic direction.

 

In order to learn more about the CNCS Strategic Plan, the MCSC will host two free one-hour webinars for Michigan's national service programs on Tuesday, April 19 at 10:00 a.m. and Thursday, April 21 at 3:30 p.m. (content will be the same for both webinars). Anyone affiliated with an AmeriCorps, Learn and Serve, or Senior Corps program is welcome to participate. Join CNCS Chief Strategy Officer Heather Peeler as she provides an overview of the Strategic Plan and shares how the Corporation will be implementing these goals. Participants will also hear from Michigan Community Service Commission staff about the important role Michigan's national service programs can play in these efforts. To register for the webinars, click on one of the links below.

Tuesday, April 19 at 10:00 a.m.

https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/809561498

Thursday, April 21 at 3:30 p.m. 
https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/484146122

 

The Strategic Plan recognizes the critical role CNCS and the network it supports plays in engaging millions of Americans in sustained service to solve community problems, supporting our most vulnerable citizens, strengthening the voluntary sector, and transforming lives. It also calls on all those involved in national service to lead and operate at the highest level of accountability, integrity and transparency.  We encourage all national service programs to review the Strategic Plan at: http://www.nationalservice.gov/pdf/11_0203_cncs_strategic_plan.pdf.


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CNCS to Offer Regional Training Sessions for Michigan's National Service Program Staff

The Corporation for National and Community Service is also coordinating four regional sessions for all national service project directors and supervisors from May to August 2011 with Edward Wollman, a nationally-known expert and facilitator in grant writing and resource development.

The two-day sessions, called Your National Service Program: More Money, More Mission! - will be offered to allow participants to learn and apply proven strategies to identify new or different funding sources and resource-development opportunities. Discussions will also be held about designing and implementing "evidence-based programs" that can yield new funding opportunities.

Below are the dates and locations for these meetings. Registration instructions will soon be available at www.highimpactgrants.com.

May 23 & 24 - Saginaw

July 11 & 12 - Gaylord

July 18 & 19 - Grand Rapids

August 1 & 2 - Dearborn


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What is Cross-Stream? 
Cross-stream refers to the three national service initiatives within the Corporation for National and Community Service: AmeriCorps (State, National, VISTA, and NCCC), Learn and Serve, and Senior Corps (RSVP, Senior Companions, and Foster Grandparents). The Cross-Stream Advisory Team was created to enhance and strengthen Michigan's national service efforts and is comprised of program staff representing each stream of service. Key activities of the Advisory Team include planning the bi-annual Team Up Michigan! conference, hosting informative trainings, developing communication materials, and producing the bi-monthly Cross-Stream Connector e-newsletter.

For additional information on Michigan's cross-stream efforts, contact Megan Sargent at [email protected] or (517) 241-3494.